15-Day Cairo, Nile Cruise & Hurghada Holiday
Giza's pyramids, a day in the Fayoum oasis, three nights on the Nile with a felucca at sunset, then four nights in Hurghada. Internal flights, transfers, hotels, your cabin, guides and entry tickets are all arranged.
The short answer
15-Day Cairo, Nile Cruise & Hurghada Holiday is a 15-day, 14-night trip to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel and Hurghada: 7 nights in Cairo, 3 on a Nile cruise and 4 in Hurghada. Starts on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays or Sundays. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide and transfers. Prices start at £2,355 per person, two sharing (Comfort, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
The plan is simple: sightseeing first, rest afterwards. The holiday opens in Cairo with an evening to yourself after you land. The days that follow take in the Giza Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Citadel and a full day in the Fayoum oasis, where Wadi El Rayan has its lakes and waterfalls. You then fly to Aswan, watch the sun go down from a felucca and join your Nile cruise ship for three nights, with visits to Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor Temple, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. The second day is an easy one, as the ship heads north and you go ashore at Kom Ombo and Edfu. Luxor ends with the Karnak Temple Sound & Light Show.
Leaving the ship, you travel on to Hurghada on the Red Sea for four nights, with a day snorkelling off Orange Bay and two free days. A flight takes you back to Cairo for three more nights, two of them free. We book the flights, transfers, hotels and the cruise cabin. The standard of hotel and ship is up to you, and the sightseeing is the same whichever you choose.
What lingers
- 01The Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum in a single guided day
- 02A full day out to the Fayoum oasis, with the lakes and waterfalls of Wadi El Rayan and lunch
- 03A felucca on the Nile at sunset in Aswan, on the day you join the ship
- 04Three nights on a Nile cruise ship from Aswan to Luxor, full board
- 05Kom Ombo and Edfu temples on an easy day as the ship heads north
- 06The Karnak Temple Sound & Light Show on your evening in Luxor
- 07A boat trip to Orange Bay for snorkelling and a beach day from Hurghada
- 08Four free days, in Hurghada and Cairo, to rest between the sights
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in GBP, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortfrom £2,3554★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 7 nightsJewel Sport City Nile Cruise · 3 nightsRoyal Princess Amira · Tower Prestige Hurghada · 4 nightsSwiss Inn Resort Hurghada | £2,355May–Sep: from £2,226 | |
| Classicfrom £2,5345★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsGrand Sun · Stephanie Hurghada · 4 nightsAMC Royal Hotel & Spa | £2,534May–Sep: from £2,226 | |
| Prestigefrom £3,2655★ deluxe hotels · 5★ deluxe Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSonesta Moon Goddess · Nile Serenity Hurghada · 4 nightsHilton Hurghada Plaza | £3,265May–Sep: from £3,251 | |
| Luxuryfrom £5,2975★ luxury hotels · 5★ luxury Nile cruises | Cairo · 7 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSonesta St. George I · Esmeralda | £5,297May–Sep: from £4,574 |
Nile cruise on full board. You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
15 Days / 14 Nights · Cairo · Alexandria · Aswan · Abu Simbel · Kom Ombo · Edfu
- 1
A driver is waiting in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport, helps with your bags and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours, with nothing arranged. Unpack, stretch your legs or find something to eat nearby, and rest before the Pyramids tomorrow. No meals are included today.
- 2
A full day with a licensed, English-speaking Egyptologist. Allow 4 to 6 hours for Giza, where you see the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx, then lunch and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Entry tickets, the guide and the car are all included. You are then driven back to your hotel for a second night in Cairo.
- 3
You have a free morning after breakfast. In the afternoon a licensed Egyptologist collects you for a half-day tour taking in the Citadel and Muhammad Ali's mosque, a walk through Islamic Cairo and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Entry tickets and a private air-conditioned car are included, and the car returns you to your hotel.
- 4
This is a full day out from Cairo, about 10 hours including the drives. A private car and driver pick you up at your Cairo or Giza hotel, and an English-speaking guide goes with you to the Fayoum oasis, a green stretch of lakes and farmland, and then to Wadi El Rayan, known for its lakes and waterfalls. Lunch is at a local restaurant, and the car brings you back to your hotel in Cairo.
- 5
You are driven to Cairo Airport for the one-hour flight to Aswan; the airline fixes the time, and we plan the day around it. From Aswan Airport a driver takes you to your hotel or the ship. The cruise sightseeing starts with Philae on its island, then the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk, with an English-speaking Egyptologist, entry tickets and transport included.
Later, as the light softens, you board a felucca for about three hours on the river, passing Elephantine Island and Kitchener's Island, with the Aga Khan views and the sun setting over the cataract, before being taken back to the pier. It is the first of three nights on board, on full board, and a full day.
- 6
An easy day on the river. The ship heads north from Aswan and you go ashore at the Temple of Kom Ombo and the Temple of Edfu. Your English-speaking Egyptologist, the entry tickets and the transport are all covered. For the rest of the day you can relax on board, on full board, and watch the Nile go by.
- 7
The ship arrives at Luxor. Your Egyptologist takes you to Luxor Temple and to Karnak, with its Sacred Lake, with entry tickets and transport included. In the evening you return to Karnak for its Sound & Light Show, an evening performance of about two hours with admission covered. You spend a last night on board.
- 8
After breakfast you leave the ship and your Egyptologist takes you across the river to the West Bank: the Colossi of Memnon, the Valley of the Kings, with three tombs included, and Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari. Entry tickets and transport are covered. A private air-conditioned car then covers the five hours from Luxor to Hurghada on the Red Sea. This is a full day.
- 9
Nothing is planned today. Sleep in, swim and rest beside the Red Sea after the sightseeing. Breakfast is at your hotel. If you would like something added, tell us before you travel and we will say what can be done.
- 10
The boat picks you up from your hotel for the crossing to Orange Bay on Giftun Island. You have two guided snorkelling sessions, with equipment and life jackets provided, a sunbed on the beach, and a hot lunch with bottled water. The boat then takes you back to Hurghada and your hotel.
- 11
Another free day by the sea, with nothing planned. Swim, rest or stroll along the shore before tomorrow's flight to Cairo. Breakfast is at your hotel, and if you would like something added, tell us before you travel.
- 12
After breakfast you are driven to Hurghada Airport for the one-hour flight to Cairo; the airline fixes the time. A driver meets you in Cairo and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free.
- 13
Today is free in Cairo, with nothing planned. You could shop, revisit a favourite place or simply rest. If you would like something added, tell us before you travel and we will say what can be done.
- 14
One more free day in Cairo, with nothing planned. This last full day also acts as a quiet buffer before your journey home, so there is no need to rush your packing. Breakfast is at your hotel, and your departure transfer is tomorrow.
- 15
Breakfast is your last meal at the hotel, after which you check out. Your private driver takes you to Cairo Airport for the flight home and helps with your bags. Allow roughly two hours for the journey and check-in, and let us know your flight time beforehand so we can arrange the collection.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Four nights in a Cairo hotel, three on a Nile cruise ship, four in a Hurghada hotel and three more in a Cairo hotel
- Breakfast at the hotels, full board on the ship and the lunches listed in the itinerary
- Internal flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Hurghada to Cairo
- A private transfer from Luxor to Hurghada and all airport and hotel transfers
- A day trip from Cairo to the Fayoum oasis and Wadi El Rayan (about 10 hours), with a private car, driver, English-speaking guide and lunch
- A sunset felucca ride on the Nile at Aswan (about 3 hours), entry fees included
- Nile cruise sightseeing with an English-speaking Egyptologist, entry tickets and transport: Philae, the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor Temple, Karnak and the West Bank
- Admission to the Karnak Temple Sound & Light Show, an evening performance of about 2 hours
- Entry tickets to the Kom Ombo and Edfu temples on day 6
- The Orange Bay snorkelling day with boat, two guided sessions, equipment, sunbed and lunch
- A licensed Egyptologist and entry tickets on the Giza and Citadel days
- Meeting and assistance at Cairo Airport
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides, drivers and ship staff
- Drinks on board and meals other than those stated
- Optional extras on the free days
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Visit the Giza Plateau early, before stronger midday haze and heavier crowds.
- 02
At Abu Simbel, sunrise light is better on the façade for photography.
- 03
Wear proper walking shoes for the Luxor West Bank, paths can be uneven and dusty.
- 04
In Khan El Khalili, ask prices before buying and compare two stalls.
- 05
Hurghada sea conditions are usually calmer in the morning for snorkelling and boat trips.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel and ship when you book. Ask us about changing the number of nights in Hurghada or Cairo.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travellers who want to see the main sights of Egypt first and then slow down. Suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy with two flights, road days and several hours of walking on sightseeing days.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, or who want a slow pace from the start. Days 4 and 8 are long.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- The pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Fayoum oasis and the main Nile temples in one holiday
- Four free days and four quiet nights by the Red Sea
- Flights, transfers and the cruise sightseeing package all arranged
Things to Consider
- A busy first week with a 10-hour Fayoum day
- A five-hour road transfer from Luxor to Hurghada on day 8
- Several free days with nothing planned
Where it fits
A good fit for a holiday that starts with the big sights and ends with rest. An evening at Karnak is included, and four days are free.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many Egypt holidays book the Nile and the Red Sea separately. This one joins Cairo, the Nile and Hurghada in 15 days, with both flights and every transfer arranged for you. The standard of hotel and ship is your choice; the sightseeing does not change.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided multi-day holiday with a Nile cruise and a Red Sea stay
- Accommodation
- Cairo and Hurghada hotels and a Nile cruise ship, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Alexandria · Aswan · Abu Simbel · Kom Ombo · Edfu · Luxor · Hurghada
- Includes
- 7 nights in Cairo hotels and 4 nights in Hurghada, with breakfast · 3 nights on a Nile cruise ship, full board · Flights from Cairo to Aswan and Hurghada to Cairo · A Fayoum oasis day, a sunset felucca and an Orange Bay snorkelling day · Karnak Temple Sound & Light Show admission · Guides and entry tickets on the Cairo and cruise sightseeing days · All transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Best for
- Travellers who want sightseeing followed by rest · First-time visitors with a fortnight to spend · Those wanting a Nile cruise and a day in the Fayoum oasis
- Guide languages
- English
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any visa or travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Swimming costume, towel and your own snorkel mask if you have one
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any regular medication
- Small day bag
- A light layer for the ship, the felucca and the flights
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples and uneven ground
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques and temples
- Beachwear for the Red Sea days
- A light jacket for winter evenings on the river and at the Karnak show
Children & families
Children are welcome. Every child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport, guiding and meals are charged at the adult rate at any age. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. Hotel and cabin prices depend on the child's age and the room or cabin used, so we give you the exact figure once you tell us the age at booking.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This holiday involves a good deal of walking around large archaeological sites, on uneven stone and sand, with steps and some narrow tomb passages. Karnak and the Valley of the Kings have long, open stretches with little shade. The Fayoum day means a long time in the car, with short stops outdoors. Boarding the ship, the felucca and the boats to Philae and Orange Bay involve steps and a gangway. Vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site. Tell us what you need when you book and we will say honestly which parts suit you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The holiday uses two internal flights, a Nile cruise ship, a sailing felucca, a boat to Giftun Island and private road transfers, and vehicle types vary, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Sightseeing is led by local guides and arranged through suppliers in Cairo, Fayoum, Aswan, Luxor and Hurghada, so much of what you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle, to keep their hands off the painted walls in tombs and to leave coral and shells where they are.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how soon you let us know and on the kind of holiday. See our current cancellation and refund terms
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01Are the internal flights included?
Yes. The flights from Cairo to Aswan on day 5 and from Hurghada to Cairo on day 12 are booked for you and included. International flights are not. Luxor to Hurghada on day 8 is a private road journey of about five hours. The airline sets the flight times.02Are guides and entry tickets included?
Yes. An English-speaking guide, the entry tickets and the transport are covered on the Cairo and Nile cruise sightseeing days, and entry to the Giza and Citadel sites is included. On the Fayoum day you have a private car, driver, English-speaking guide and lunch. The Hurghada and free days have no sightseeing.03How many nights do we spend on the Nile?
Three nights on board, from Aswan to Luxor, on full board with breakfast, lunch and dinner. The other eleven nights are in hotels with breakfast: four in Cairo, four in Hurghada and three more in Cairo.04What is day 6 on the ship like?
It is an easy day. The ship heads north and you visit the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu with your guide, entry tickets included. The rest of the time is yours on board.05What happens on the Fayoum day?
Day 4 is a day out from Cairo of about 10 hours, drives included. You see the Fayoum oasis and Wadi El Rayan, with its lakes and waterfalls, in a private car with a driver and an English-speaking guide, and have lunch at a local restaurant. It is a long day, so it suits those who are comfortable with plenty of time on the road.06Is the Karnak Sound & Light Show part of the holiday?
Yes. On the evening of day 7, after the day's sightseeing in Luxor, admission to the Karnak Temple Sound & Light Show is included. The performance lasts about 2 hours. If you would like to know how the evening works, ask us before you travel.07Which hotels and which ship will we have?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the hotels and the ship for your dates. The itinerary and sightseeing are identical at every standard.08How much free time is there?
Day 1 is an evening at leisure once you land. Days 9 and 11 in Hurghada and days 13 and 14 in Cairo are free, and so is the morning of day 3 before the afternoon tour. Tell us if you would like something added.09Is day 8 too long?
It is a full day: the West Bank in the morning, then about five hours by private car to Hurghada. If you would like a gentler pace, ask us.10Will I make my international flight home?
Domestic and international tickets are separate bookings, so a late internal flight could cost you your connection. Your last internal flight, Hurghada to Cairo, is on day 12, with three nights in Cairo after it. That is a deliberate safety margin. Book your flight home for day 15 and take travel insurance that covers missed connections.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-309520
At a glance
- Length
- 15 days · 14 nights
- Starts
- Mon, Thu, Sat or Sun
- Route
- Cairo → Fayoum → Aswan → Kom Ombo → Edfu → Luxor → Hurghada → Cairo
- Nights
- 7 Cairo · 3 Nile cruise · 4 Hurghada
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, transfers